Benin city – The President of African Bar Association, Mr. Hannibal E. Uwaifo has called on Nigerian Judges and Lawyers to self-regulate themselves in the discharge of their duties before they are regulated by force of the Nigerian people.
Hannibal Uwaifo made the call yesterday in Benin City while on a working visit to the corporate head office of the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), whose Executive Director, Rev David Ugolor is currently the Special Adviser to ABA on Corruption and Ethical issues.
The Africa Bar Association President was speaking against the backdrop of Nigerians perceiving Lawyers and the Judicial arm of government as obstacle to the on going war on corruption.
He posited that when France and the United Kingdom went through similar experience several decades ago, a lot of lawyers and judges were killed because they were perceived as obstacles to the administration of Justice.
He stated that over sixty five percent of Nigerian Lawyers are free of corruption, but was quick to add that a few bad lawyers in the legal profession give it bad name which like bad news, travel very fast and far.
The legal luminary also remarked that the rule of law is not a barrier to justice administration but cautioned lawyers not to play pranks with the judicial process or embark on frivolities or playing to the gallery.
“The rule of law is also a defense for the country, Nigeria. It is part of the rule that there should be fair hearing, not trial by ambush.
“It is not rule of law that a man discharged and acquitted in Nigeria is convicted overseas for the same offence. This is bad for the country because rule of law is universal. We need to look at our procedures and practices,” Hannibal Uwaifo said.
The African Bar Association President lauded the Executive Director of ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor for his untiring and unwavering commitment to the fight against corruption and the enthronement of a just society in Nigeria and beyond.
“I want to commend Rev. David Ugolor for his commitment to the promotion of social justice, human rights and the war against corruption,” Uwaifo said.
He called on Rev. David Ugolor as the Special Adviser to ABA on anti-corruption to take a lead in Organizing Civil Society component in the upcoming African Bar Association conference scheduled to hold in Banjul, Gambia from May 15th – 18th, 2016 which will focus on corruption and Terrorism. He called on Ugolor to use his wealth of experience spanning three decades in Civil Society activism to fund-raise for the event and Organise Civil Society input in the areas of Ethics and corruption as well as Human rights.
Welcoming the ABA President earlier, ANEEJ Executive Director Rev. David Ugolor thanked Hannibal Uwaifo for his visit to ANEEJ despite his crowded schedule and in particular for his appointment as Special Adviser to ABA on corruption and Governance issues.
“It is a big honour to have the President of Africa Bar Association visit ANEEJ and we want to use this opportunity to deepen our work around the issue of corruption and Human Rights.
“The role of the bar and the bench are crucial in a democracy and if lawyers are complicit in the discharge of their duties, that will undermine the current war on corruption being led by President Muhammadu Buhari, Ugolor said.
He assured the visitors that working with his team in ANEEJ, he would develop a strategy that would help ABA fulfil its work on corruption and Human rights in the continent.
He informed the visiting ABA President of an upcoming conference on corruption in London being organised by the UK government and urged him to be part of that important conference to reflect the voices of African Lawyers.
